Armed Forces Bowl: Houston 34, Air Force 28
Kevin Sumlin inherited Houston's 30 year postseason winless drought when he became their head coach after last season. Houston won their first bowl game since 1980 as they beat Air Force in the Armed Forces Bowl. Sophomore quarterback Case Keenum ran for two touchdowns, threw for another, and became the second Houston quarterback to pass for more than 5,000 yards in a season. Freshman Bryce Bell ran for 135 yards and a score.
Sun Bowl: Oregon State 3, Pittsburgh 0
This was a defensive battle. There's nothing else to it. There were three points, 20 punts, and 10 sacks. In the lowest scoring bowl game in half a century, Oregon State shut down #20 Pittsburgh, needing only Justin Kahut's 44 yard field goal to win. The defensive struggle went on all day. Pitt kicker Connor Lee tried a 58 yard field goal in the final seconds, but the ball, aided by the wind, fell just short of the crossbar.
Music City Bowl: Vanderbilt 16, Boston College 14
Vanderbilt used to be called the worst team in the SEC. A private school that just didn't belong in a power conference. No more. The Commodores won a bowl game for the first time in 53 years, using three Boston College turnovers to help them win. Bryant Hahnfeldt kicked three field goals and Sean Richardson recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown.
Insight Bowl: Kansas 42, Minnesota 21
As night fell in the desert, the Rock Chalk Chant filled Sun Devil Stadium. It was the perfect way for Kansas to celebrate their big win over Minnesota. The Jayhawks have now won three straight bowl games, a first for them. The Insight Bowl also marked their first back-to-back bowl appearances. Kansas sliced up Minnesota with a great passing attack by Todd Reesing, who threw for four scores. Dezmon Briscoe led the Jayhawks, catching 14 passes for 201 yards and earning the MVP award.
Chick-fil-A Bowl: LSU 38, Georgia Tech 3
One year after winning a national championship, unranked LSU found a way to start their return to glory. Charles Scott ran for three touchdowns, Jordan Jefferson completed his first nine passes, and LSU made big plays on special teams as they beat the Yellow Jackets easily. The Tigers outscored Tech 28-0 in the second quarter and led 35-3 at halftime. LSU had lost three of its last four regular season games but regrouped for the dominating bowl victory. Jordan Jefferson led the way, throwing for 150 yards and a touchdown.
Next bowl game: Thursday, January 1, 2009
Outback Bowl: South Carolina vs. Iowa, 11:00 AM, ESPN
Capital One Bowl: Georgia vs. Michigan State, 1:00 PM, ABC
Gator Bowl: Nebraska vs. Clemson, 1:00 PM, CBS
Rose Bowl: Penn State vs. USC, 4:30 PM, ABC
Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech vs. Cincinnati, 8:30 PM, FOX
